S7/.74- 


Kduc.    Dept« 


NEW 

RATIONAL  ATHLETICS 

FOR  BOYS  AND  GIRLS 

PUPILS'  EDITION 


BY 

FREDERICK  J.  REILLY 

PRINCIPAL  P.  S.  33,  THE  BRONX 


NEW  YORK 


D.  C.  HEATH   &  CO.,  PUBLISHERS 

BOSTON  NEW  YOKK  CHICAGO 


COPYRIGHT,  IQi;,  BY 
D.  C.  HEATH  &  COMPANY 

I  K  7 


MAIN        R 


PREFACE 

This  Pupils'  handbook  is  simply  a  chapter 
from  "New  Rational  Athletics  for  Boys  and 
Girls/'  -a  teacher's  manual.  It  is  intended 
primarily  to  assist  squad  leaders  in  getting 
good  results.  Each  physical  training  teacher 
also  should  have  a  few  copies  on  hand  to  be 
loaned  to  new  pupils  and  to  those  who  are 
not  making  rapid  progress.  A  careful  read- 
ing of  the  instructions  and  a  study  of  the 
illustrations  will  not  only  hasten  the  pupil's 
mastery  of  the  various  exercises  herein  de- 
scribed, but  will  greatly  lighten  the  work  of 
the  teacher. 

F.  J.  R. 

NEW  YORK 
March  31,  1917 


434U3 


CONTENTS 

PREFACE Page  iii 

LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS v 

TEACHING  THE  EXERCISES 

RUNNING 1 

1.  POTATO  RACE .  l 

2.  SPRINTS 4 

HOP,  STEP,  AND  LEAP 7 

BROAD  JUMP 9 

HIGH  JUMP 12 

CHINNING  THE  BAR 14 

GRIP 16 

SHOT  PUT 18 

PITCHING 24 

BASKET  BALL  GOALS 25 

COMBINATION  DIP .      .  26 

TRUNK  LIFTING 30 

CHEST  EXPANSION 32 

BASEBALL  THROWING  FOR  GIRLS 33 

SERVING  IN  TENNIS 35 

BASKET  BALL  THROW  (for  Distance) 37 

PUTTING  IN  GOLF 40 

DRIVING  IN  GOLF 41 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 


Victor  Lamberti :  All- Around  Champion,  1917  Frontispiece 

Plate  7.  —  Potato  Race Page  3 

"     8.  —  Crouch  Start 5 

"     9.  —  Broad  Jump:  Ready 21 

10.  —  Broad  Jump:  Correct  Landing 10 

11.  —  Chinning:  Good  Form 15 

12.  —  Chinning:  Bad  Form 15 

13.  —  Grip  Exerciser 17 

14.  —  Grip  Testing 17 

15. —  Shot  Put:  First  Position 19 

16.  — Shot  Put:  Second  Position 22 

17.  — Shot  Put:  Bad  Form       . 23 

18.  —  Pitching  Target:  Boys 24 

19.  —  Combination  Dip:  Taking  Places 27 

20.  —  Combination  Dip:  Ready 27 

21.  —  Combination  Dip:  First  Count 28 

22.  —  Combination  Dip:  Second  Count 28 

23.  —  Combination  Dip:  Third  Count 29 

24.  —  Testing  the  Combination  Dip 29 

25. — Trunk  Lifting:  First  Position 30 

26. —  Trunk  Lifting:  Second  Position 31 

27.  —  Testing  Chest  Expansion 32 

28.  —  Target  for  Baseball  Throwing 34 

29.  —  Serving  in  Tennis:  The  Net 35 

30.  —  Serving  in  Tennis :  1 36 

31. —  Serving  in  Tennis:  2 37 

32.  — Basket  Ball  Throw :  1 38 

33. —  Basket  Ball  Throw:  2 39 

34.  — Putting  in  Golf 40 

35.  —  Addressing  the  Ball 42 

36.  —  At  the  Top  of  the  Swing 42 

37.  —  At  the  End  of  the  Swing 42 

38.  — Putting  in  Golf:  Bad  Form 42 

39.  —  Driving  in  Golf:  The  Cage  Closed  ......  43 

40. — Driving  in  Golf :  The  Cage  in  Use 44 


J 


VICTOR  LAMBERTI  —  ALL-AROUND  CHAMPION,  JANUARY,  1917 

Grade,  7B;  Age,  14  yr.  5  mos.;  Height,  5  ft.  3  in.;  Weight,  124  lb.;  Shot  Put  (6 
Ib.  Medicine  Ball),  37  ft.;  Potato  Race  (100  yds.),  22  sec.;  Chinning  the  Bar.  10 
times;  Hop,  Step,  and  Leap,  32  ft.;  Combination  Dip,  20  times. 


THE  EXERCISES  IN  DETAIL 


RUNNING 

1.  Potato  Race.  —  Our  original  layout  for 
the  Potato  Race  consisted  of  four  blocks 
placed  eight  feet  apart,  the  farthest  being 
50  feet  from  the  starting  line  or  basket.  In 
placing  the  four  blocks  successively  on  the 
marks,  or  in  bringing  them  in  one  by  one, 
the  runner  covered  a  distance  of  304  feet,  ap- 
proximately 100  yards.  We  found,  however, 
that  when  it  came  to  a  comparison  of  individ- 
ual records,  the  runner  who  brought  the 
blocks  in  and  dropped  them  in  the  basket 
had  an  advantage  over  the  runner  who  must 
pick  them  out  of  the  basket  and  put  them 
on  the  marks. 

In  order  to  make  the  conditions  absolutely 
the  same  for  all,  we  did  away  with  the  first 
and  fourth  blocks,  leaving  the  second  and 
third,  which  are  respectively  34  feet  and  42 
feet  from  the  basket.  The  runner  now  starts 
from  the  basket,  brings  in  one  block  and 


2  NEW    RATIONAL   ATHLETICS 

: drops  it  in  the  basket;  he  brings  in  the  sec- 
ond and  touches  the  basket;  replaces  on  the 
mark  the  second  block,  gets  the  first  out 
of  the  basket  and  replaces  that  on  the  mark 
and  returns,  -  -  his  time  being  taken  as  he 
crosses  the  line.  In  case  a  block  does  not 
fall  into  the  basket,  the  runner  is  not  required 
to  return  and  pick  it  up;  he  is,  however, 
charged  one  second  on  his  time,  for  a  "  foul." 
In  this  way  every  runner  does  exactly  the 
same  thing,  covers  exactly  the  same  ground, 
and  the  comparison  of  individual  time  is 
therefore  fair. 

For  the  Junior  Division,  the  starting  line 
with  the  basket  is  10  feet  nearer  the  first 
block,  the  distances  being  respectively  24  feet 
and  32  feet.  Running  each  of  these  four 
times  makes  224  feet,  or  a  little  over  70 
yards.  All  these  marks  are  painted  on  the 
floor  of  the  gymnasium  and  playground. 

Rubber-soled  shoes  are  practically  neces- 
sary in  order  to  make  good  time  in  this 
event. 

The  Potato  Race  is  a  splendid  exercise. 
It  is  keenly  exciting,  and  develops  both  speed 
control.  The  effort  of  stooping  to  pick 


FOR  BOYS   AND    GIRLS  3 

up  the  blocks  exercises  the  big  muscles  of 
back  and  thigh,  squeezes  the  viscera,  compels 
deep  breathing,  and  certainly  stimulates  the 
circulation.  When  all  these  results  are  se- 


PLATE  7.  —  THE  POTATO  RACE 

cured  in  an  atmosphere  of  keen  enjoyment, 
we  are  getting  nearly  100  per  cent,  of  phys- 
sical  training  value. 

Runners  should  learn  not  to  overrun  the 
marks.     The   trick  is   to   stop   short   of   the 


4  NEW   RATIONAL  ATHLETICS 

mark  and,  while  stopping,  reach  for  the  block 
or  the  basket.  Every  foot  saved  counts. 

2.  Sprints.-  "Class  Running,"  according 
to  the  method  prescribed  by  the  P.  S.  A.  L., 
is  conducted  as  follows: 

The  class  is  lined  up  back  of  the  starting 
line,  the  teacher  standing  at  the  finish  line, 
watch  in  hand.  The  teacher  gives  the  signal 
to  start  by  snapping  his  handkerchief  and  the 
first  boy  starts.  As  he  crosses  the  finish  line, 
the  teacher  snaps  his  handkerchief  again  and 
the  second  boy  starts,  and  so  on.  The  teacher 
takes  the  total  elapsed  time  from  the  instant 
the  first  runner  starts  until  the  last  one 
has  finished  and,  dividing  by  the  number 
competing,  gets  the  average  time  for  the 
class. 

When  it  is  desired  to  time  each  individual, 
a  stop  watch  is  very  convenient,  in  fact 
almost  necessary.  When  individual  time  is 
taken,  the  signal  for  the  second  runner  to 
start  is  given  only  when  the  time  of  the  first 
has  been  taken  and  recorded.  For  this  pur- 
pose the  teacher  should  have  at  his  elbow  a 
non-competing  pupil  to  act  as  clerk.  One 
great  advantage  of  using  a  stop  watch  is 


FOR   BOYS   AND    GIRLS  5 

that,  in  addition  to  its  much  greater  ac- 
curacy, the  teacher  can  have  his  eyes  on 
the  runner  rather  than  on  the  watch. 


PLATE  8.  —  CROUCH  START 

One  of  the  mistakes  that  we  are  prone  to 
make  is  to  suppose  that  boys  and  girls  know 
how  to  run.  A  little  watching  will  convince 
one  that  they  need  to  be  taught  how  to  do 
this  as  much  as  anything  else. 


6  NEW   RATIONAL   ATHLETICS 

For  the  guidance  of  those  who  have  not 
had  training  in  sprint  races,  we  have  set 
down  here  seven  points  to  be  observed  in 
running: 

1.  Make  a  quick  start.    Practice  the  crouch 
position.     (See  Plate  No.  8.) 

2.  Dig  the  ground  out  from  under  you  with 
half  a  dozen  quick,  choppy  steps. 

3.  Having    thus    gotten    up    some    speed, 
straighten  up  and  begin  to  run. 

4.  Make  your  stride  as  long  as  you  can 
without  disturbing  your  balance;    every  inch 
added  to  your  stride  counts  up  wonderfully. 

5.  Keep  your  head  up  and  look  straight 
before  you. 

6.  Keep     your     arms     and     legs     moving 
straight  forward  and  back,  like  the  driving 
rods   of   a   locomotive.      Any   swaying   from 
side  to  side  is  lost  motion. 

7.  Make    yourself    go    faster    and    faster, 
flashing  across  the  finish  line  at  your  highest 
possible  speed. 

Any  teacher  who  will  closely  observe  his 
class  with  these  points  in  mind  can  tell  each 
pupil  what  is  wrong  with  his  running,  just  as 


FOR  BOYS    AND    GIRLS  7 

surely  as  any  professional  trainer.  He  will 
see  boys  using  a  crouch  start  deliberately 
stand  up  and  then  begin  to  run,  thus  losing 
all  the  advantage  of  the  crouch. 

Any  one  who  has  seen  fast  skaters  racing 
has  noticed  the  queer  little  steps  with  which 
they  start  digging  their  skates  into  the  ice  to 
get  action  before  they  straighten  out  and 
begin  to  skate.  Sprinters  must  get  that  same 
idea  of  kicking  the  ground  out  from  under  them 
with  half  a  dozen  choppy  steps  as  they  spring 
forward  from  the  crouch  start.  Then  it  is 
time  to  straighten  up,  and  not  before.  One 
of  the  hardest  faults  to  overcome  is  the  per- 
sistent tendency  to  slow  up  when  approach- 
ing the  finish  line.  It  is  well  to  place  some 
one  about  30  feet  beyond  the  finish  line  and 
to  instruct  your  runners  not  to  slow  up  till 
they  have  passed  that  person.  Do  not  allow 
a  crowd  to  gather  around  the  finish  line,  as 
that  increases  the  tendency  to  slow  up. 

HOP,  STEP,  AND  LEAP 

One  is  likely  to  assume  that  boys  know 
how  to  do  this  exercise.  As  a  matter  of  fact, 


t8  NEW   RATIONAL  ATHLETICS 

comparatively  few  do,  and  it  must,  therefore, 
be  analyzed  and  taught  in  advance  as  a  class 
exercise. 

Draw  on  the  floor  two  parallel  lines  about 
four  feet  apart.  Tell  the  class  that  the  space 
between  the  two  lines  is  a  stream  of  water. 
Have  them  run  in  column  around  the  floor 
and  hop  over  the  stream.  Then  have  them 
step  over  it,  on  the  run;  then  jump  over  it, 
still  running.  Then  have  them  do  a  hop  and 
a  step;  a  step  and  a  jump;  and,  finally,  the 
three  together. 

There  will  usually  be  a  few  who  will  have 
difficulty  in  mastering  the  sequence.  They 
must  also  be  trained  to  gauge  their  prepara- 
tory run  so  as  to  strike  the  starting  line  with 
the  foot  they  want  to  spring  from.  Assum- 
ing that  this  is  the  right  foot,  the  boy  must 
strike  just  back  of  the  starting  line  with  his 
right  foot  and  make  his  spring,  landing  on 
his  right  foot  again  —  which  is  a  hop  —  spring- 
ing again  immediately  and  landing  on  his 
left  -  -  which  is  a  step  —  finally  landing  on 
both  feet  —  which  is  a  jump.  To  fall  or  step 
back  at  the  finish  of  this  exercise  constitutes 
a  foul. 


FOR  BOYS   AND    GIRLS  9 

The  general  tendency  is  ^to  overdo  it  at 
the  start  by  trying  to  make  so  much  on  the 
hop  that  the  pupil  loses  control  and  has  not 
spring  enough  in  him  for  the  step  or  the 
final  effort  in  the  jump. 

Several  gymnasium  mats  measuring  well 
over  30  feet  must  be  provided.  In  front  of 
the  first  mat  we  place  a  board  on  which  is 
tacked  a  broad  piece  of  corrugated  rubber 
with  a  white  line  painted  across  it.  This  is 
the  starting  line.  The  near  edge  of  the  board 
is  bevelled  down  so  as  to  avoid  the  danger  of 
tripping.  The  corrugated  rubber  should  meas- 
ure about  2  feet  square,  and  is  to  prevent 
slipping  in  the  take-off. 

BROAD  JUMP 

To  secure  good  form  in  the  Broad  Jump 
is  comparatively  simple.  Boys  should  be 
trained  to  take  one  upward  stretch,  balanc- 
ing an  instant  on  their  toes,  gather  them- 
selves together,  arms  extended  back,  and 
then  to  spring  forward  and  upward  with  all 
the  power  of  their  legs,  flinging  the  arms  for- 
ward at  the  same  time.  The  hardest  thing  to 


10  NEW    RATIONAL   ATHLETICS 

get  them  to  understand  is  that,  to  get  dis- 
tance, they  must  jump  high.  A  projectile 
fired  at  an  angle  of  45  degrees  travels  farther 
than  one  fired  higher  or  lower.  We  have 


PLATE  10.  —  BROAD  JUMP:  CORRECT  LANDING 

found  it  useful  to  stand  a  twelve-inch  board 
on  edge  about  2  feet  from  the  starting  line, 
so  as  to  make  the  pupils  jump  high.  They 
must  learn,  also,  that  to  fall  or  step  back 
after  landing  constitutes  a  foul.  (See  Plates 
Nos.  9  [page  21]  and  10.) 

Attention  is  invited  to  our  arrangement  of 
the  mat  for  jumping.  (See  Plate  No.  9.) 
Attached  to  one  end  of  a  regular  ten-foot 


FOR  BOYS    AND    GIRLS  11 

gymnasium  mat  is  a  platform  about  18  inches 
square.  This  is  not  a  springboard,  but  simply 
a  solid  platform  of  two  thicknesses  of  seven- 
eighths-inch  board,  covered  with  a  square  of 
ordinary  rubber  stair-tread.  This  gives  the 
jumper  a  solid,  non-slipping  platform,  about 
on  a  level  with  the  mat.  He  is  not  allowed 
to  use  the  edge  of  this  board  as  a  take-off, 
but  must  jump  from  a  line  marked  on  the 
rubber. 

Measuring  from  the  starting  line,  cross- 
lines  are  painted  three  inches  apart  on  the 
mat,  beginning  with  4  feet  6  inches,  the  mini- 
mum for  a  "  Junior  A."  In  this  way  it  is  not 
necessary  to  measure  every  jump,  as  the 
jumper  is  credited  with  the  distance  of  the 
last  line  which  he  cleared.  To  make  it  easy 
to  convert  the  distance  into  "points,"  we  use 
a  stick  with  cross  lines  three  inches  apart, 
marked  5,  7,  9,  11,  13,  15.  The  line  marked 
5  is  placed  alongside  of  the  line  on  the  mat 
that  measures  the  minimum  distance  for  the 
given  classification.  By  this  device  of  a  mov- 
able bar,  the  person  in  charge  can  tell  at  a 
glance  just  how  many  points  each  jumper 
earns. 


12  NEW   RATIONAL   ATHLETICS 


HIGH  JUMP 

For  practice  in  the  High  Jump  we  provide 
two  jumping  stands,  one  set  low  for  the  little 
fellows  and  one  set  for  those  who  can  jump 
higher.  The  squad  breaks  up  automatically, 
each  boy  going  to  the  bar  that  is  placed  at 
the  height  that  suits  him.  A  regular  gym- 
nasium mat  is  placed  behind  each  bar  for 
the  boys  to  land  on,  and  a  square  yard  of 
corrugated  rubber  is  placed  in  front,  from 
which  they  can  "take  off"  without  danger  of 
slipping. 

There  are  two  general  methods  commonly 
used  in  the  High  Jump.  The  one  is  the  side 
jump,  in  which  the  jumper  approaches  the 
bar  from  the  right  or  the  left  and  goes  over 
sideways.  This  seems  to  be  the  natural  way 
for  boys  to  begin.  The  other  is  the  straight 
jump,  in  which  the  jumper  approaches  the 
bar  at  right  angles  and  shoots  over  feet  first, 
the  body  being  in  an  almost  horizontal  posi- 
tion. The  form  of  the  straight  jump  is  quite 
difficult  to  master,  but  we  believe  it  is  worth 
while  trying  to  acquire  it.  Authorities,  how- 


FOR  BOYS    AND    GIRLS  13 

ever,  differ.     The  straight  jump  is  done  as 
follows : 

Taking  off,  say,  with  the  right  foot,  the 
left  leg  is  thrown  high  and  straight  to  the 
front,  the  right  foot  being  then  snapped  over 
in  front  of  the  left  knee,  the  body  clearing 
the  bar,  feet  first,  in  an  almost  horizontal 
position.  It  should  be  noted  that  this  method 
necessitates  raising  the  weight  of  the  trunk 
only  a  foot  or  so,  while  the  side  jump  requires 
lifting  the  body  high  enough  to  practically 
sit  up  on  the  bar. 

Four  things  must  be  observed  by  the  boy 
who  would  master  the  straight  jump: 

1.  Not  to  run  too  far  or  too  fast;   to  save 
his  strength  for  the  spring. 

2.  To  take  off  far  enough  from  the  bar  to 
bring  the  left  leg  up  straight,  without  kicking 
the  bar. 

3.  To  snap  the  right  leg  over  in  front  of 
the  left,  not  behind  it. 

4.  Not  to  try  for  height  until  he  has  mas- 
tered the  form,  which  may  require  weeks  of 
practice. 


14  NEW   RATIONAL  ATHLETICS 


CHINNING  THE  BAR 

Chinning  Bars  have  been  put  up  in  the 
doorway  of  every  classroom,  from  5A  up. 
Boys  are  encouraged  to  take  every  oppor- 
tunity before,  during,  and  between  sessions, 
to  practice  chinning.  At  ten,  eleven,  and  two 
o'clock  the  gongs  ring,  whereupon  each  class 
stops  work,  rises,  opens  the  windows,  and 
does  the  "Two  Minute  Drill,"  the  setting  up 
exercise  prescribed  by  the  course  of  study. 
One  squad  may  be  allowed  to  practice  chin- 
ning at  each  of  these  times.  Individuals  who 
have  finished  a  piece  of  work  and  who  are 
waiting  for  the  rest  of  the  class  would  be 
better  employed  practicing  chinning  than  in 
looking  about  seeking  whom  they  may  annoy. 

A  visitor  timed  a  boy  one  day,  finding  that 
he  left  his  seat,  which  was  in  the  middle  of 
the  room,  went  to  the  door,  chinned  the  bar 
thirteen  times,  returned  to  his  seat  and  re- 
sumed his  work  in  forty-three  seconds.  It 
acts  as  a  stimulus  to  work  when  the  boys 
know  they  may  practice  chinning  if  they 
finish  their  task  before  the  others. 


FOR  BOYS    AND    GIRLS 


PLATE  11.  —  CHINNING: 
GOOD  FORM 


PLATE  12.  —  CHINNING: 
BAD  FORM 


In  chinning,  the  boy  must  first  hang  from 
the  bar,  arms  and  legs  straight,  then  pull 
himself  up  so  that  his  chin  is  just  over  the 
bar.  It  must  be  a  dead  pull-up,  no  snap, 
swing,  or  kick  being  allowed.  Boys  who  are 
unable  to  pull  themselves  up  at  all  should 
practice  hanging  from  the  bar  and,  if  pos- 
sible, rope  climbing.  (See  Plates  Nos.  11  and 
12.} 


16  NEW   RATIONAL  ATHLETICS 

GRIP 

For  exercise  in  strengthening  the  grip,  we 
use  a  device  consisting  of  two  wooden  handles 
joined  at  one  end  by  a  spiral  spring.  These 
come  in  several  degrees  of  strength  and  can 
be  bought  for  25  cents  the  pair,  —  two  sets, 
one  for  each  hand,  being  a  pair.  We  have 
three  or  four  of  these  hanging  on  the  walls 
of  every  classroom  and  several  more  among 
the  apparatus  in  charge  of  the  teachers  of 
physical  training.  Boys  and  girls  are  en- 
couraged to  take  every  opportunity  to  prac- 
tice with  these  spring  grips,  so  that  when 
they  are  tested  on  the  official  recording  in- 
strument, they  may  show  an  improvement 
over  their  previous  record  and  so  gain  a  few 
more  points.  (See  Plates  No.  13  and  14-) 

That  is  the  secret  of  the  success  of  this 
system  both  with  boys  and  with  girls.  They 
are  working  always  for  something  definite. 
They  are  trying  to  beat  the  other  fellow  and 
they  are  trying  to  beat  their  own  past  per- 
formance. And  there  is  no  guessing  about 
it.  Everything  is  exact,  definite,  and  abso- 
lutely fair.  Children  do  not  work  for  some 


FOR  BOYS    AND    GIRLS 


17 


indefinite,  far-off  good.     They  work  for  tan- 
gible   results    here   and   now,    and   this    sys- 


PLATE  13.  —  GRIP  EXERCISER 


PLATE  14.  —  GRIP  TESTING 


tern   gives   them   this   definite  something   to 
work  for. 

As  stated  in  a  previous  chapter,  boys  and 
girls  also  practice  with  the  grip  exercisers 
when  they  have  done  their  turn  at  the 
Potato  Race  and  are  waiting  for  their  next 
event. 


18  NEW   RATIONAL   ATHLETICS 

SHOT  PUT 

This  is  one  of  the  finest  and  most  interest- 
ing exercises  we  have  for  boys.  We  wish  it 
were  possible  to  give  them  a  real  shot  to 
put,  as  there  are  points  about  the  form  that 
can  be  taught  only  with  the  shot.  But  with 
large  numbers  it  is  impossible  to  use  even 
the  so-called  "in-door  shot."  We  have  sub- 
stituted a  6-pound  medicine  ball,  on  the  side 
of  which  the  makers  have  sewed  a  leather 
pocket  into  which  the  boy  slips  his  fingers. 
This  prevents  the  ball  bouncing  out  of  his 
hand  when  he  takes  the  preparatory  skip. 
Two  or,  better,  three  medicine  balls  should 
be  provided.  Two  lines  painted  on  the  floor, 
seven  feet  apart,  indicate  the  "circle."  Be- 
ginning at  16  feet  from  the  start,  lines  are 
painted  on  the  floor  to  mark  the  minimums, 
16,  18,  20,  23,  26;  and  then  every  two  feet 
up  to  about  40  feet.  Thus  the  squad  leader 
can  see  at  a  glance  how  many  feet  each  boy 
has  "put."  Toward  the  other  end  of  the 
floor  and  a  little  to  one  side  is  another  "circle" 
and  a  set  of  measuring  lines  running  in  the 
opposite  direction. 


FOR  BOYS    AND    GIRLS  19 

Two  groups  can  thus  engage  in  putting  the 
shot  at  the  same  time.     Group  one  (half  of 


PLATE  15. — SHOT  PUT:  FIRST  POSITION 

a  squad)  puts  down  on  one  side;  the  ball  is 
stopped  and  rolled  over  to  one  of  the  second 
group,  who  puts  it  back  on  the  other  side. 


20  NEW   RATIONAL  ATHLETICS 

So  two  or  three  balls  are  kept  circulating 
and  no  time  is  lost  sending  them  back  to  the 
starting  line. 

In  putting  the  shot,  the  boy  stands  with 
his  right  foot  on  the  rear  one  of  the  two  lines 
indicating  the  seven-foot  "circle,"  with  the 
ball  balanced  on  his  right  hand  at  his  shoulder. 
(See  Plate  No.  15.}  From  a  crouching  posi- 
tion, weight  entirely  on  the  right  leg,  he 
takes  a  skip  forward  and  then,  as  quick  as  a 
flash,  he  twists  in  the  air,  landing  with  his 
right  foot  just  back  of  the  front  line  and  fac- 
ing in  the  opposite  direction  to  that  faced 
at  starting.  As  he  twists  in  the  air,  he 
shoots  his  hand  out  and  up,  straight  from  his 
shoulder,  "putting"  the  shot  as  far  out  as  he 
possibly  can.  In  this  exercise  also  he  should 
remember  that  a  projectile  fired  at  45  degrees 
travels  farthest.  (See  Plate  No.  16.) 

Two  mistakes  are  common  in  putting: 

1.  Pausing  after  taking  the  skip  and  before 
doing  the  twist.    This  loses  all  the  advantage 
gained  from  the  skip. 

2.  "Slinging"  the  ball,  with  arm  extended, 
instead  of  "putting"  or  pushing  it  straight 
out   from   the  shoulder.      (See  Plate  No.  17.} 


m 


PLATE  9.  —  BROAD  JUMP:  READY 
(See  pages  10-11.) 

21 


22 


NEW   RATIONAL   ATHLETICS 


The  former  is  an  application  of  the  catapult 
or  sling,  while  "Putting"  is  more  like  releas- 
ing a  spiral  spring  that  shoots  straight  for- 


PLATE  16.  —  SHOT  PUT:  SECOND  POSITION 

ward.  If  the  boy  will  think  of  himself  as  a 
big  spring,  gather  himself  together  in  a 
crouching  position  and  suddenly  twist  and 


PLATE  17.  —  SHOT  PUT:  BAD  FORM 
23 


24  NEW   RATIONAL   ATHLETICS 

straighten  out  from  his  toes  to  his  finger  tips, 
he  will  master  the  shot  put.  To  step  or  fall 
forward  over  the  line  constitutes  a  foul. 


PLATE  18.  —  PITCHING  TARGET 


PITCHING 

On  one  side  of  the  indoor  playground  where 
there  are  no  windows  to  be  broken  we  have 
two  pieces  of  sail  cloth  6  feet  wide  and  9 
feet  long,  hanging  one  in  front  of  the  other 
with  about  12  inches  space  between.  In  the 
front  piece,  an  opening  15  inches  wide  and  24 
inches  high  is  cut,  to  represent  the  space  over 


FOR  BOYS    AND    GIRLS  25 

the  plate,  between  the  average  boy's  knee  and 
shoulder,  in  which  a  ball  must  be  placed  to 
be  called  a  "strike."  (See  Plate  No.  18.) 

We  do  not  pretend  by  this  device  to  teach 
* c  pitching, "  -  an  art  which  consists  in  mislead- 
ing a  batter  by  mixing  curves,  fast  and  slow 
balls.  We  claim  only  to  train  in  t!he  elemen- 
tary quality  of  control,  in  the  ability  to  throw 
a  ball  straight,  to  put  it  where  it  ought  to  go. 
We  allow  5  balls;  if  the  5  go  through  the 
opening,  the  pitcher  makes  a  perfect  score. 
But  the  balls  must  be  thrown  with  some  speed, 
not  merely  tossed  in.  In  an  official  test  each 
boy  is  given  three  balls  to  "warm  up"  before 
beginning  to  score. 

BASKET  BALL  GOALS 

In  this  exercise  the  only  element  is  time. 
The  boy  or  girl  gets  the  ball  for  the  number 
of  seconds  allowed  for  his  group,  and  no  one 
else  must  touch  the  ball  during  that  time. 
He  shoots  as  often  as  he  can,  recovers  the 
ball  and  shoots  again  from  any  position  he 
chooses.  Scores  of  twelve  and  even  fourteen 
goals  in  thirty  seconds  have  been  made  re- 
peatedly by  both  boys  and  girls. 


26  NEW   RATIONAL   ATHLETICS 

COMBINATION  DIP 

The  Combination  Dip  is  one  of  the  best 
of  all-around  exercises.  It  brings  into  play 
the  arms,  shoulders,  back,  loins,  and  legs. 
Care  should  be  taken  to  keep  the  hips  high 
and  the  back  flat,  avoiding  the  "sway- 
back"  position.  (See  Plates  19  to  £40  It  is 
done  as  follows: 

1.  Place  hands  on  floor  the  width  of  the 
shoulders    apart,    and    assume    a    crouching 
position. 

2.  Stretch  the  legs  straight  back,  resting 
the  weight  on  the  hands  and  toes. 

3.  Bend   the   arms   until   the   chest  —  not 
the  abdomen  or  knees -- touches,  or  nearly 
touches  the  floor. 

4.  Straighten  the  arms. 

5.  Dip  again. 

6.  Straighten  the  arms  again. 

7.  Bring  up  the  feet  to  the  crouching  posi- 
tion, as  in  1. 

8.  Stand  erect. 
9-10.   Rest. 

1.   Begin  again,  repeating  the  10  counts. 


FOR  BOYS   AND    GIRLS 


PLATE  19.  —  COMBINATION  DIP:  TAKING  PLACES 


PLATE  20.  —  COMBINATION  DIP:  READY 

The  ten  counts  constitute  one  Combination 
Dip.  When  the  boys  have  mastered  the  de- 
tails, the  leader  should  count  at  a  uniform 


28 


NEW    RATIONAL   ATHLETICS 


PLATE  21. —  COMBINATION  DIP:  FIRST  COUNT 


PLATE  22.  —  COMBINATION  DIP:  SECOND  COUNT 

rate  of  about  forty  to  the  minute,  emphasiz- 
ing the  odd  numbers. 

In  practicing  this  and  Trunk  Lifting,  as  a 
class  exercise,  sheets  of  oak  tag  or  wrapping 
paper  should  be  spread  on  the  floor  as  shown 


FOR  BOYS   AND    GIRLS 


PLATE  23.  —  COMBINATION  DIP:  THIRD  COUNT 

in  Plates  19-23.      In  testing,  we  use  wooden 
frames,   consisting  of  two  handles  nailed   to 


PLATE  24.  —  TESTING  THE  COMBINATION  DIP 


30  NEW   RATIONAL   ATHLETICS 

crosspieces,  about  the  width  of  a  boy's 
shoulders  apart.  Testing  the  Combination 
Dip  may  be  made  more  definite  by  the  simple 
expedient  of  placing  on  this  frame  a  regu- 
lar platform  bell,  which  the  boy  must  ring 
by  pressing  on  it  with  his  chest  at  each  dip. 
(See  Plate  2J>.) 

TRUNK  LIFTING 

Trunk  Lifting  consists  in  lying  flat  on  the 
back,  arms  folded  across  the  chest,  and  then 


PLATE  25. — TRUNK  LIFTING:  FIRST  POSITION 

raising  one's  self  to  a  sitting  position  with- 
out any  assistance  whatever  from  the  arms. 


FOR  BOYS    AND    GIRLS 


31 


This  is  an  exercise  that  strengthens  the  ab- 
dominal muscles  supporting  the  viscera,  and 
it  is  very  valuable  as  it  takes  care  of  a  much 
neglected  set  of  muscles.  It  seems  difficult, 
almost  impossible,  at  first;  but  practice  makes 


PLATE  26.  —  TRUNK  LIFTING:  SECOND  POSITION 

perfect,  and  the  flexibility  it  produces  repays 
the  effort  of  mastering  it.  We  recommend 
this  and  the  Combination  Dip .  to  adults 
who  show  a  tendency  to  stiffness  or  undue 
corpulence. 

In  practice,  one  half  of  the  class  holds  down 
the  feet  of  the  other  half.  The  arms  are 
folded  across  the  chest,  the  back  is  arched, 
and  the  head  held  erect.  In  this  way  good 


32  NEW   RATIONAL   ATHLETICS 

posture  is  maintained,  while  at  the  same  time 
the  muscles  of  the  abdomen  and  upper  legs 
are  given  some  strenuous  exercise.  (See  Plates 


CHEST  EXPANSION 

As  previously  explained,   exercise  in   deep 
breathing  is  taken   during  the  Two  Minute 


PLATE  27.  —  TESTING  CHEST  EXPANSION 

Drill  in  the  classroom  and  at  the  beginning  of 
the  physical  training  lesson,  before  the  dust  is 
stirred  up. 

In  testing,  the  tape  is  drawn  around  the 


FOR  BOYS    AND    GIRLS  33 

chest  below  the  shoulder  blades  and  below 
the  pectoral  muscles,  at  right  angles  to  the 
spine,  on  what  is  called  the  "ninth  rib." 
(See  Plate  27.}  This  does  away  with  spread- 
ing the  shoulder  blades  and  contracting  the 
chest  muscles  which  have  nothing  to  do  with 
inflating  and  expanding  the  lungs. 

BASEBALL  THROWING  OR  PITCHING, 
.   FOR  GIRLS 

The  target  for  girls  consists  of  heavy  canvas 
6  feet  by  9  feet,  like  the  one  for  the  boys. 
Painted  on  it  is  a  series  of  three  rings,  the 
middle  one,  or  "bull's-eye,"  being  20  inches 
in  diameter;  the  outer  rings  being  10  inches 
wide  all  around.  In  the  bull's-eye  is  painted 
a  "5";  in  the  first  ring,  a  "3";  in  the  second 
ring,  a  "2";  outside  the  rings,  but  on  the 
canvas,  counts  1.  (See  Plate  28.} 

Girls  naturally  throw  a  ball  from  the  elbow. 
It  is  hard  to  get  them  to  swing  the  arm  and 
throw  from  the  shoulder.  Practicing  a  full 
circle  forward,  and  a  small  circle  back  of  the 
head  with  an  Indian  club  will  help  them  to  get 
the  idea  of  the  full  arm  movement  necessary 
in  throwing  a  ball, 


34 


NEW    RATIONAL   ATHLETICS 


The  player  should  stand  with  the  left  foot 
forward  at  the  line  marked  on  the  floor  for 
her  group,  the  weight  thrown  back,  the  right 


PLATE  28.  —  TARGET  FOR  BASEBALL  THROWING 

leg  bent;  then  swing  the  arm  down  and 
back  at  full  length,  execute  a  small  circle 
back  of  her  head,  and  shoot  the  ball  straight 
forward,  throwing  the  weight  forward  upon 
the  left  leg.  This  should  be  taken  with  the 
class  as  a  mimetic  exercise  until  they  get  the 
swing  of  it. 

Five  balls  are  thrown  in  practice.    In  test- 


FOR  BOYS    AND    GIRLS  35 

ing,    three    are    allowed    for    "warming    up" 
before  scoring. 

SERVING  IN  TENNIS 

Here,  again,  we  are  not  really  teaching 
the  art  of  serving,  which,  as  in  pitching,  con- 
sists in  misleading  one's  opponent.  We  are 


PLATE  29.  —  SERVING  IN  TENNIS:  THE  NET 

simply  training  in  the  very  elementary  thing 
of  placing  a  tennis  ball  in  a  given  space.  And 
one  who  watches  a  class  of  beginners  will 
realize  that  even  this  is  quite  a  contract. 

Form  should  be  insisted  upon,  to  a  certain 
extent  at  least.     The  player  should  be  obliged 


36 


NEW   RATIONAL   ATHLETICS 


to  grasp  the  racket  near  the  end  of  the  han- 
dle and  to  swing  at  the  ball  thrown  well  above 


PLATE  30. — SERVING  IN  TENNIS:  1 

the  head.  Lobbing,  or  pushing  the  ball  with 
racket  grasped  midway  of  the  handle,  should 
not  be  allowed.  (See  Plates  29-31.} 


FOR  BOYS    AND    GIRLS 


37 


A  broad  line  is  painted  on  the  floor  39  feet 
from  the  wall;  smaller  lines  three  feet  apart 
indicate  the  positions  at  which  the  different 


PLATE  81.  —  SERVING  IN  TENNIS:  2 

groups  stand  when  serving.  Five  balls  are 
allowed  each  server.  In  an  official  test,  three 
balls  are  allowed  for  practice. 

BASKET  BALL  THROW  (for  Distance) 

Throwing  the  Basket  Ball  corresponds,  for 
girls,  to  the  Shot  Put,  for  boys;  but  with 
the  distinction  that  the  girls  sling  the  ball, 


38  NEW   RATIONAL   ATHLETICS 

holding  it  balanced  on  the  hand  at  full  arm's 
length.  Standing  in  a  6-foot  circle,  left  foot 
advanced,  weight  on  right  leg,  right  knee 


PLATE  32.  —  BASKET  BALL  THROW:  1 

bent,  ball  resting  on  hand  and  forearm,  the 
player  suddenly  swings  around,  pivoting  on 
the  left  foot,  throwing  the  weight  forward, 
and  slings  the  ball  forward  and  upward  with 


FOR  BOYS    AND    GIRLS  39 

all  her  force.     The  distance  covered  by  the 
ball  depends  on  the  angle  at  which  the  ball 


PLATE  33.  —  BASKET  BALL  THROW:  2 

is  thrown  and  the  speed  with  which  the  girl 
swings  around.  As  in  the  Shot  Put,  to  step 
or  fall  forward  out  of  the  circle  constitutes 
a  foul.  (See  Plates  32-33.} 


40  NEW   RATIONAL   ATHLETICS 

PUTTING  IN  GOLF 

An  authority  on  golf  says  that  75  per  cent, 
of  the  shots  in  a  game  are  played  on  the 


PLATE  34.  —  PUTTING  IN  GOLF 

putting  green.  Supposing  they  were  only  50 
per  cent.,  the  importance  of  this  part  of  the 
game  is  evident;  yet  among  players  in  gen- 


FOR  BOYS    AND    GIRLS  41 

eral,  practice  in  this  element  is  very  much 
neglected. 

Putting  requires  care  and  concentration. 
It  is  a  serious  breach  of  etiquette,  on  the 
links,  to  speak  or  to  move  when  another  is 
about  to  drive  or  put.  This  should  be  im- 
pressed upon  the  girls  and  should  become  a 
habit  with  them  when  practicing  these  shots. 

Putting  consists  of  "sweeping"  the  ball 
into  the  hole.  The  "putter"  should  be 
held  so  that  the  face  of  it  is  at  right  angles 
to  the  line  leading  to  the  hole.  It  should 
be  drawn  back  a  little  way  and  then  swept 
forward  straight  toward  the  hole,  keeping  the 
face  of  the  club  always  at  right  angles  to  the 
line.  Having  sighted  the  hole  and  got  your 
club  in  position,  the  one  thing  to  do  is  to 
"keep  your  eye  on  the  ball."  Remember  that 
this  is  the  first  and  last  commandment  in 
playing  golf.  (See  Plate  #40 

DRIVING  IN  GOLF 

This  is  perhaps  the  most  difficult  exercise 
of  all  to  master.  To  drive  perfectly,  one 
must  learn  to  hold  the  club  so  that  the  face 
of  it  strikes  the  ball  at  right  angles  to  the 


PLATE    35.  —  ADDRESSING    THE      PLATE   36. — AT   THE    TOP    OF 
BALL  THE  SWING 


PLATE    37.  —  AT   THE   END   OF  PLATE 

THE  SWING 

42 


,  —  BAD  FORM 


NEW    RATIONAL   ATHLETICS 


43 


line  of  direction,  as  in  putting.  One  must 
learn  to  swing  the  head  of  the  club  through 
a  perfect  arc,  "following  through"  after 


PLATE  39.  —  DRIVING  IN  GOLF:  THE  CAGE 
CLOSED 


'  or  "slic- 


hitting  the  ball,  to  avoid  "pulling 
ing."  One  must  learn  to  keep  one's  head 
always  in  the  same  relative  position  to  the 
ball,  at  all  points  of  the  swing.  This  is  not 


44'  NEW   RATIONAL   ATHLETICS 

as   easy  as  it  seems.     And,  above  all,  learn 
to   "keep  your  eye  on  the  ball!" 

The  natural  tendency  is  to  look  up  to  see 
where  the  ball  is  going.     But  one  must  learn 


PLATE  40.  —  DRIVING  IN  GOLF:  THE  CAGE  IN  USE 

to  trust  in  Providence  and  look  for  the  ball 
only  after  the  swing  is  complete.  "Keep 
your  eye  on  the  ball"  means  keep  your  eye 
on  the  spot  where  the  ball  is  (or  was)  until 
you  have  finished  your  swing.  (See  Plates 
35-38.} 

We  place  the  ball  on  a  thick  jute  door- 


FOR  BOYS   AND    GIRLS  45 

mat  which  acts  very  much  like  a  good  piece  of 
turf.  The  player  stands  on  a  platform  3  feet 
square,  of  f -inch  board  covered  with  rubber. 
The  one  thing  to  guard  against  is  the  danger 
of  other  girls  getting  behind  the  player.  A 
golf  player  is  like  a  mule  in  that  the  only 
safe  place  is  in  front  of  him.  To  make  it 
impossible  for  any  one  to  be  struck  by  the 
swinging  club,  we  place  an  "ordinary  clothes- 
horse  back  of  the  player,  leaving  only  one 
entrance  to  the  cage  open.  The  squad  leaders 
are  instructed  to  allow  only  one  player  to 
enter  the  cage  at  any  one  time.  When  the 
player  has  driven  the  number  of  balls  allowed 
her,  she  must  collect  them,  put  them  in  a 
tray  alongside  the  mat,  and  then  hand  the 
driver  to  the  next  player.  (See  Plates  39-40.} 


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